george lucas
Star Wars sucks. There, we said it.
From 2015: ‘Star Wars’ was once lambasted. Now, criticizing it mildly draws vitriol. How did a flawed sci-fi flick become an unassailable cultural force?
Imagine if Wes Anderson directed the new ‘Star Wars’
Conan O’Brien already did
How porn parodies avoid copyright restrictions
And why all this make SOPA look even more evil
3D R.I.P.
It was the last hope for business as usual for the entertainment and consumer electronic industries
Super-sized philanthropy
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett plan to give away half of their fortunes
Newsmakers: Feuds
What Kevin Smith, Helena Guergis, Star Wars fans and Conan O’Brien all have in common
How news-savvy are you?
Who’s known as the “devil’s spawn”? What do you know about “Fatgate”? Take our spring Newsmakers quiz.
Adventures in geekdom
Film reviews of ‘Adventureland’ and ‘Fanboys’
The Second Coming of Steven Spielberg: Indy Encounters of the Fouth Kind
There was the predictable mob scene as the media horde surged between narrow barricades, clamoring to get into Indy IV. I got in without being crushed and can report that the movie went over pretty well with the crowd. But some of those same journalists who fought so hard to get a seat began their exodus as early as 20 minutes before the end of the film—so they could beat the mob scene that would converge on the Indy press conference after the screening. I stayed to the end. I’ll save a full scale review for the eve of the movie’s May 22 opening. But in a nutshell I can say that I enjoyed first half hour, a pastiche of witty touches and old-fashioned chase scenes; I got a bit dozy in the middle as the plot churned through the kind of byzantine details that are de rigeur with this franchise; then I got re-engaged towards the end.
Indy vs the indies: Indiana Jones in the Kingdom of Cannes
Today is Indy Day. This afternoon, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will be unveiled for the media horde, followed by the the red carpet premiere tonight. And what’s billed as the biggest blockbuster of the summer, if not the year, will be launched. It won’t be unleashed in commercial theatres until Thursday. But there will be not stopped the floodtide of early reviews. In this case, many critics will break protocol. With a movie this size, a review becomes a news story. They’ll post and publish instant reviews worldwide immediately after this afternoon’s screening.